Wow Dave, nicely said. And it's so refreshing to see a well-thought-out, beautifully articulated, non-bitter, non-bragging, non-bashing, post for a change; one that gets to the REAL problems in the industry.

Dave says, and I quote, " There are too many artists, songwriters, performers, musicians and people associated with the music industry...". What Dave was too polite to say was, "There are too many NON-TALENTED or marginally-talented......" people flooding the industry. Of course this only applies to 'professional' artists or those aspiring to be. Amateurs and home players can do whatever their wallets allow them to do.

One could make the argument that Arranger keyboards, along with 'loops', sequences, samples, BIAB, and other 'third-party helpers' have the potential to exacerbate the problem by giving non-musicians or amateur-level musicians the capability of producing results that are acceptable to an increasingly jaded and non-discriminating public. And although this may create some opportunities for some individuals that didn't exist before, it is, as Dave pointed out, bad for the industry and for true working professionals who have spent years honing their craft.

On the positive side, technology (let's get away from Arranger Keyboards, music creation programs, etc. and call it what it really is - TECHNOLOGY) almost always has the potential to make something good even better. However, a 40 yr old Steinway is still going to sound better than even the best sample played via a keyboard controller. The subtle nuances of a great instrument simply can't be captured with electrons.

Where I may disagree with Dave somewhat, is how it affects songwriters, the REAL music creators. I think good songs will emerge regardless of the process used to create them. Getting them out into the marketplace is another story however, and I'm sure the plethora of material being generated as a result of the new technology, makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish oneself from the crowd. The good news is that genuine talent, as in the past, will always rise to the top.

As usual, JMO.

chas
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"Faith means not wanting to know what is true." [Nietzsche]